Escaping into Fantasy
by IrradiatedCactus
Summary: Sam Hix's life had been nice and simple. Home-Schooling here, a bit of a social life there. But on one particularly bad day, as his life threatens to crumble around him, Sam does the one thing he can think of: escape and run. What he didn't think would happen was waking up in the arms of a man with antlers, in a world that isn't his own. (Cover found for free noncommercial uses)
1. Chapter 1

To say that Sam Hix had been experiencing a bit of a bad day would certainly be an understatement. Even just looking at him, anyone could tell that the boy was in an extremely bad mood. Trudging up to the front door of his home, the flowers almost seemed to bow before the powerful rage-fueled aura the teenager was giving off. Very few things had gone right for Sam. Let's list them off, perhaps? To start, his alarm clock had glitched and woke him up three hours earlier than he wanted, at 4:00 AM. He tiredly reached over and shut it off, grabbing it and putting it back to the correct time. It then took him an hour to get back to sleep, only to then be awakened five hours later as the clock had glitched again and went off three hours later than intended, which put quite a dent in his plan for the day.

Speaking of said plan, that is where it began to get worse for Sam. He was homeschooled, so it didn't take him nearly as long as most others. However, he had been assigned all quizzes and tests for his assignments that day, which caused a good five hours of work to be done, two more than his plan could really risk. However, his grades had been As and Bs, so he had one thing going for him. When he finally did finish with school, Sam was forced to skip his regularly scheduled time of writing. He usually spent two hours a day working on stories he was writing, but he had gone two hours over schedule. He could still get in his final plan however: finally asking out that cute - and recently revealed as transgender - guy he had met and befriended at the local library a few weeks ago.

Of course, life had other plans. Sam had strolled up to go and meet up with Connor, make a bit of small talk, and then finally ask the question. But as he had turned the corner, he had caught Connor making out with what he learned minutes later was Connor's new girlfriend. Sam couldn't remember her name, nor did he really want to. That last thing had upset Sam the most. Coming to the realization that he was panromantic was difficult to process, but the attempts at finding a partner had remained fruitless. Not that he could really blame anybody. He had an acne covered chin, the middle of his eyebrows grew in way too fast, and his entire life had led up to a horrifyingly disgusting gut and pair of man boobs that he managed to hide with loose shirts and jackets.

Sam quietly stepped into his home, slowly closing the door behind him and locking it. He was glad no one else was awake. That meant he could spend the rest of his waking time in peace. He loved his family, but they could be a bit much. He made his way to his room, making sure to flick off every last light as he passed them. In the bathroom, Sam paused when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. No changes. His chin had acne, the unibrow was growing in, the gut was hidden beneath a loose shirt and a hoodie that showed a design from one of the many fandoms he was in. His eyes were a dark hazel, paired well with his brown hair. His legs sported a simple pair of blue denim jeans, and protecting his feet were some sneakers. The pure embodiment of average. Sam gave a disappointed sigh when he flicked the light off. Yup, just average.

Sam paused when he saw that his laptop was opened on his desk. The screen was dark, meaning it was asleep. Sam didn't remember leaving it open. In fact, he very clearly remembers closing it after finishing his schoolwork for the day. Closing his bedroom door, Sam sat down in the folding chair looking towards his desk. He hit the spacebar on the keyboard, prompting the screen to flash back alive. He typed in his passcode and awaited the device to be unlocked.

Sam's gut filled up with fear. His Discord was open, which would be fine in of itself if it wasn't for A) what it was opened up to and B) that he didn't have Discord open when he left. His Discord showed a server he was on that was a safe haven for people in the LGBT+ community, and one of the messages currently displayed was Sam's account declaring he was anything but straight. And the only people who knew his laptop password other than himself were his parents. Put two and two together? Sam was currently terrified.

Sam flew into a flurry of thoughts as his body started moving on its own, grabbing his suitcase and beginning to pack clothes and other things he would need. His parents were not accepting of "those who went against the word of God" and all that. He couldn't believe his own stupidity in the moment. He had been so careful as to not allow his secret to be discovered, and yet, here he was, packing a suitcase in order to run away. He wasn't sure what his parents would do to him, but he was sure it wouldn't be anything good. He heard stories of kids kicked out of their homes, or beaten and abused, or sent to special camps in order to "straighten them out." And that thought was terrifying.

Sam snapped out of his thoughts when he realized that his suitcase couldn't fit anymore. He had filled it with socks, under garments, jeans, and now shirts. He took out the shirts that wouldn't fit and put them back. Now for the finishing touches. He grabbed several items of food, and stuffed them into a bag. He made sure to take his phone and crack it in half, ensuring his Discord couldn't be checked from there. He would continue to use the platform, but he wanted to make sure he couldn't be tracked. He packed his laptop into a messenger bag, along with its charger. He didn't bother to leave a note behind - his parents wouldn't care. As he walked off into the night, he didn't bother to look back. He was never returning home.

And Sam didn't know it yet, but that thought was more correct than he thought it would ever be.

br

Credence Doe, a deer Faunus bartender, grunted as he lugged the heavy trash bag into the alley. The clinking of the glass bottles threatened to awake the apartment building next to his bar, but he didn't worry too much about it. He was glad that the trash people would be stopping by the next day. The alley was filled with a bunch of trash. Piles of trash bags, broken bottles, human legs, the remains of food…

"Huh?!" Credence yelped at the human legs that were poking from under the pile of bags. He quickly pushed the bags away, hoping that the person underneath wasn't dead. Underneath the bags he found a thankfully breathing human boy, brown hair disheveled and his clothes - except the hoodie, strangely - torn up. Credence hesitated for a moment. If someone saw him carrying this unconscious boy it would look incredibly bad. His inner demons duked it out for a moment before the angel on his shoulder won and Credence decided to help this mysterious teenager out. He picked up the limp boy and hurriedly carried him up the stairs from his bar and into the apartment above it. "Rain! I need your help!" Credence yelled out. From around the corner Credence's teenage daughter, Rain, came in a hurry.

"Dad? What's - oh!" Rain saw the boy in tattered clothes in her father's arms. She understood the need and she ran into the bathroom to retrieve the first-aid kit her father kept for emergencies. As she ran into the room, she watched in surprise as the boy coughed into consciousness. She got onto her knees beside the mysterious brown-haired teen as his father took off the boy's hoodie and shirt, keeping the jacket and tossing the shirt in the trash. His torso was covered in cuts likely obtained from the glass bottles among the trash he had been under.

"Where… where the hell…" The boy tried to speak, struggling in the process. Credence shushed the teen, holding him upright as Rain began to tend to the boy's wounds. She warned the boy that this was going to sting as she applied disinfectant to his wounds, some of them being especially deep. He winced in pain as she pressed a soaked cotton ball against the first of his especially bad scratches. "I… what? The last thing I remember is getting hit by a car when I was running away from home…" The boy was stopped by Credence again, telling the teen to save it for later. He weakly nodded and allowed his arms to be wrapped with bandages and gauze, his chest and stomach receiving the same treatment. There were too many cuts to only put bandaids on them. Credence picked the boy up and moved him to the couch, gently setting him down. "You… have antlers." The boy said, seeing Credence's Faunus trait. Credence nodded, not sure if it was a question or a statement.

"Rest for a moment, young man. You received quite a few scratches, some of them very bad. And now that we know you've been in a hit-and-run, we'll need to inspect you for any other injuries." Credence went to leave. "I'll be back in a moment, I need to close the bar. Rain, watch him for a little bit, please." Credence said to his daughter, quickly going back down the stairs. Rain nodded, turning to the bandaged up boy.

"Hi." She greeted, taking a seat in a chair in the room. She shifted a bit, her deer tail pressed up against the chair uncomfortably. "Uh, my name is Rain. Rain Doe." She introduced herself. The boy turned his head to Rain, and opened his mouth to speak.

"Sam Hix. Nice to meet you, Rain." The boy, now known as Sam, returned the introduction. His face then turned to confusion when something occurred to him. "Hey, where am I?I don't remember being near the city when I got hit." Sam asked, forcing himself to sit up, grunting in effort.

"Oh, you're in Vale, above my dad's bar." Rain answered Sam. Vale? That name rung a bell in Sam's mind, but he wasn't sure why. He nodded. Sitting up he now got a good look at Rain. She didn't have antler like her dad, but he could see a tail from the angle he was at. Her skin was lightly tanned, which accompanied her freckles very well. She had brown hair that was a shade lighter than Sam's, which fell along her back, and her eyes were a striking blue. She was currently wearing pajamas, loose pajama pants and a form fitting shirt, both decorated with a snowy forest against a red background.

"I recognize that name. Um, if I may ask, why do you and your father have those animal attributes?" Sam asked, nodding to her tail. Rain tilted her head, a confused look now coming onto her face as well.

"We're Faunus." Rain saw understanding overcome Sam and then watched as his eyes widened and he ran to the window, throwing the curtains open. Outside, Sam saw the gray buildings and holographic lamp posts, and most importantly, the castle in the distance that was Beacon Academy. There was no way! Sam was in Vale, in Remnant, from RWBY? Sam looked back at Rain, who had gotten up from the chair. Credence had now come back up from the bar below, the last of his customer being forced out.

"I'm in Remnant?!" Sam yelled. The deer Faunus both nodded, slightly scared. Sam's face was overtaken by a smile. He knew this might just be some sort of coma dream from the car accident, but he didn't care. Here, he was free from Earth. Here, he was free to go on adventures and fight monsters.

Here, it was his time to shine.

When Sam realized where he was, he immediately rushed out of the apartment, telling his Faunus saviours that he would return later. He was ignoring the fact that he had run into the streets barefoot, with only his jeans and bandages keeping him clothed. Jogging along the streets, Sam took in the sights of the city. Here he was, in the world from what was arguably his favorite animated show ever. A smile was growing ever more on his scratched face, ignoring the pebbles that bombarded his feet. He felt great! He could feel the wind against his smooth skin, his heart pumping in his chest, his flat stomach rising and falling from his heavy breathing.

Sam paused, looking down at his stomach. This was odd, he usually had a rather large gut there, he could have sworn. His hand went to his chin, and felt smooth flesh. HIs acne, it had disappeared. Stopping by a nearby window, he inspected his reflection. It was him, the same Sam he was before, only he looked better. The acne and pimples around his body were now nowhere to be found, and he didn't have any hair forming a unibrow either. His currently bandaged stomach was flat instead of the round it used to be. They weren't abs, but it was a start. He looked… handsome. Looking up at the sign of the building, Sam's eyes lit up at the name. Dust Till Dawn, the famous shop from the first episode of the series. It was open, appropriately, from dusk until dawn, so the lights were shining bright in contrast to the dark city. Sam hopped up the steps and pushed the door open, ringing a bell that signalled his greeting. The old shopkeeper gave Sam a wave as he entered the shop.

Heading towards the back of the store, Sam made sure to check the right side of the building. There was no girl in a red hoodie there, and the shop wasn't being repaired, which likely meant that Sam was here before the series even started. Not that he was complaining, but the chance to meet Ruby Rose would have been amazing. Doing some more wandering of the building, Sam contemplated buying some Dust before he remembered he didn't have any Lien. So he simply left the store, waving a farewell to the shop owner.

Sam took in a deep breath as he stepped back into the streets of Vale. He couldn't say it enough times. Just as Sam was preparing to head back to the apartment he came from, he heard a noise come from an alley nearby. It seemed like some talking was going on, and Sam couldn't resist the urge to eavesdrop. Peering into the alleyway, Sam saw a very familiar face.

"What are we gonna do, Oz? I can't stall Tai forever, he's been getting too suspicious recently." Qrow Branwen said in his usual raspy voice, talking into a scroll. Next to him a green-haired tall, lanky man with thick round glasses stood. A dusty old crow and the hyper doctor. Sam's insides squealed with excitement. "This next year at Beacon is less than five months away, and if you don't find a suitable candidate from any of the students, we're gonna have a disaster on our hands." Sam couldn't resist doing what he did next. If he was going to be here in Remnant, he was going to help save it no matter what the cost.

"Might I suggest a certain Pyrrha Nikos?" Sam declared out loud, turning the corner. Qrow and Oobleck both turned to Sam, slightly startled. Sam leaned up against the wall, giving a small wave. He heard a questioning Ozpin come from Qrow's scroll, and the scythe-wielder was glaring at Sam.

"Hold on, I'll call you back. We may have a bit of trouble." Qrow hung up on the Headmaster, storing his scroll into his pockets. Oobleck stepped to the side as the black haired man put his hand onto his weapon's handle, taking a few steps towards Sam. "Get out of here, kid. I don't know what you heard, but you better leave and not tell anyone what you did hear." Sam inwardly smirked as he stood there and ignored the threat of his favorite Drunkle.

"Alright, alright, I'll go. I just wanted to give you some advice on who to transfer the Fall Maiden's powers to, since that girl - Amber, I believe her name was - isn't in the best condition to do so." Sam turned and raised his hands, beginning to walk away. He heard from behind him two weapons unfold. "Hey now, killing me isn't the way to go. Especially since I'm on your side…" Sam turned back to the two Huntsman, seeing that they had their weapons at the ready. "...and not Salem's." He put his hands into his pockets. Was this a stupid idea? Yes. Does the author feel like this is a bit too fast-paced for a believable story? Yes. Did the author just need a way for Sam to be trained within the five months before going to Beacon so he could start the juicy stuff? Again, yes. Did those last two questions actually exist in this universe? No.

"How do you know all of this kid?" Qrow gave another glare at Sam, probably sizing the boy up. Sam laughed at the sight. Did Qrow actually seem a bit intimidated? Probably not, but Sam was giving himself too much credit at the moment.

"I'm not going to tell you… yet. For now, all you're gonna know is that I think I can help you stop Salem." Sam raised an eyebrow, looking back to the two Huntsman. He wasn't sure where this confidence was coming from, but he wasn't going to turn it away. "If you don't believe me, ask me anything, something only Ozpin's most trusted would. If I'm wrong, I walk away now and leave you alone. If I'm right, however… you train me so I can get into Beacon." Sam raised an eyebrow to his offer, then his hand for a shake. "Deal?"

"Kid, I don't know if I can train you enough to get into Beacon in such a short time. But you know too much about the current situation to be ignored, and you don't seem like someone to work for the White Witch." Qrow walked toward Sam, extending his hand to shake Sam's. "So deal. On one condition." Qrow drew his hand back. "I'm fully aware I'm likely making an incredibly dumb decision I usually wouldn't make so easily. But we're desperate. So, everyday I train you, I'm going to ask you another question. And if you get even one wrong…" Qrow put his hand back to shake Sam's. "I might not be so merciful. That being said, it's time for question number one. What is Ozpin's biggest secret?" Oh, this was an easy one.

"Well, Ozpin has many secrets. Such as his fight against the White Witch, or that he never actually has any coffee in that mug he carries around." Qrow let out a small chuckle at the second claim. "But his biggest secret is that he is cursed to a life of reincarnation." Qrow was impressed, Sam could tell. Speaking of. "The name's Sam, by the way."

"Well color me astounded kid." Qrow walked past Sam, prepared to leave the alley. "I gotta go and tell Oz about this. Meet me at any bar in town, I'll find you eventually. We'll start your training there." Qrow rounded the corner and Sam heard a soft noise before he saw a small crow fly into the sky. A voice cleared from behind Sam, which slightly startled him. Sam had completely forgotten Oobleck was still there. "Oh, Doctor Oobleck, I forgot you were here."

"Actually, it's- Oh, you actually called me Doctor. Well done, young Sam. I have to say, child, it was very bold of you to barge into this fight. We could have attacked at any moment, and yet you didn't flinch at all." Oobleck stepped closer to Sam, his hands behind his back. "I don't know much about you, but whatever force is driving you to do this, I hope you are prepared. It was oddly specific that you should meet us with the knowledge you currently have."

"I've got a feeling luck is on my side." Sam stepped out of the alley and back into the city, walking back to the apartment from whence he came.

br

"What the hell?! You just barge out on us after we find you injured?!" Credence loudly whispered, trying to keep from waking his daughter who had, since Sam's departure, gone back to sleep. "Kid, I don't know you but if something had happened to you after I had just let you stroll out I would never forgive myself."

"I'm sorry, I just went and did some sightseeing! This is my first time in… Vale, and I just had to see what the place had to offer!" Sam pulled on the hoodie that was now much looser on him than it had ever been, and zipped it up. Credence, as he now knew what the man was called, had awaited the return of this stranger. Whatever confidence Sam had with Qrow was gone and he became an awkward mess of words. "I'm sorry, I was just so excited! I've always wanted to visit Vale, and I was just so overwhelmed, and I did something that shouldn't have worked in thousand years, and I think I'm into something deep!" Sam muttered out. "By the way, I kind of ran away from home and I don't have any Lien… could I stay here for a while?" At this Credence pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and pointer finger. He slowly nodded, saying they would figure everything else out in the morning.

And thus began Sam's first night in Remnant.

br

 **A/N: So hi again! I am aware that the first chapter feels kind of rushed, but I didn't really have a plan for this story. I'm writing more stream of consciousness style. I'm more getting the basic stuff out of the way before I get into the real meat of the story. I've just been super obsessed with self-insert stories recently, and I wanted to do one myself, so I hope you enjoy. But do I know that I will actually spend time on Sam's training and for him to spend time with Credence and Rain.  
** **Also, for anyone wondering, the hoodie that survived was a hoodie that looks like Connor's suit from Detroit Become Human. I actually got one myself recently so I decided to make it part of Sam's (or, in this case, my own) outfit.**


	2. Chapter 2

_February 18_

 _Day 1, Year 1_

 _Current Location: Apartment Above Credence's Bar (Name currentLy N/A)_

 _I found an empty notebook and some writing utensils, so I'm going to start keeping a journal. If this isn't some weird coma dream, I want to be able to remember my time when I first got here as I grow old here in Remnant, because I'm never going back to Earth._

 _So, yeah, I'm either in some weird coma dream from that car that hit me or I actually, somehow, ended up in the world of RWBY. Kind of sounds like a FanFiction when I think about it. It is currently 6:00 am, and I'm awake before Credence or Rain. Credence and Rain are two deer Faunus who found me under a pile of trash outside Credence's bar. I'll need to thank them when they wake up and get to know them. Credence probably only kept me around since I both didn't have anywhere else to go and I was injured when they found me. Credence is nice, and he seems like a great dad. Judging by the pictures around the apartment my guess is that Rain's mom died. I'll have to learn more about that as we get to know each other. Rain herself I haven't gotten to talk to a lot, but she seems nice too. She was so willing to help when her dad found me. And I'm not usually one to judge appearance, but she's pretty cute too._

 _Anyway, the other thing is that I have now gotten myself involved with Qrow, and probably Ozpin later down the line. By some luck, I ran into him and Oobleck in an alley when I went on a sightseeing trip through Vale. I revealed that I knew about Amber, Salem, and all that and I got him to listen to me. I give them information, Qrow trains me so I can go to Beacon. I mainly want to go to Beacon so I can learn how to fight Grimm and become a Huntsman, but if I go to Beacon then I can help change the course of this universe._

 _But the first order of business for now? Breakfast._

br

Sam set his pencil down next to the notebook he had found among the house's items. He knew it wasn't his, but documenting the things he experienced while in Remnant was something he wasn't going to miss out on. It would be the perfect way to remember when he arrived in Remnant in his old age, again assuming this wasn't some coma dream. Sam hopped off of the stool he had been sitting on and felt the cold ground against his bare feet. He mentally noted that he needed to get some new clothes at some point. He had no shoes, and his pants were incredibly ripped up, to the point that it didn't look like fashion but rather like he had been in a fight. His torso was still bandaged up, but it was hidden under his hoodie, the only clothing that survived.

"Mornin'." Came a voice from the nearby hallway. Sam looked over to see Rain coming out of what he assumed to be her room, in the same PJs she had on last night. "Good to see you up and about so early." Rain moved past Sam into the kitchen area, where she proceeded to raid the cabinets. "Dad was scared the homeless guy we found half dead last night was gonna get himself killed."

"Yeah, sorry about that! You'd understand why I ran out like that if you knew where I come from." Sam gave a weak smile to Rain. "By the way, you wouldn't happen to have a place in Vale that I could get clothes for free, would you? I've kinda got someone to meet up with and I want to have shoes… and pants… and maybe a shower." Rain nodded as she took a bite of the cereal she had poured as they spoke.

"Yeah, I think there's a guy somewhere in the Commercial District that take old and thrown out clothes, give them a good wash and gives them to those who need some clothes. I think he's got some other stuff too, but clothes are his main fortei." Rain managed to say between bites of her food. Sam gave a thumbs-up, beginning to head towards the door. "Ah! No, I'm coming with you. My dad told me to follow you if you left again. He thinks you might try to run, and he's not letting you go until your wounds have been checked and healed." Sam gave a concerned look to Rain, who laughed at the odd look she gave Sam. "Chill, he's always done that. If he ever has a straggler in the bar, or I get sick, or something like that, he makes sure the person in question is well taken care of of until they can manage without him. He's always been a softie."

"I'm not sure how to respond to that, but I suppose you need to come with me if it means I can leave in peace." Rain gave a satisfied nod at Sam's answer, finishing up her bowl and going to her room to change. Sam just wanted to leave, get some new clothes, and start training with Qrow, but nothing was ever that simple in RWBY, was it? Rain came back mre moments later, declaring it was now time to leave for the open city of Vale. Sam shook his head at the way she had said it so over the top, slightly smirking. Rain was going to be fun to be friends with.

br

Sam could swear Vale wasn't as much of a maze as it was the night before. Perhaps it was that there were now people walking around, or that the daylight changed the feel of the city, but it was very easy to get lost in the day. Even Rain, who lived in the city, admitted to Sam that she often got a bit lost. The two had made their way into the labyrinth of alleys between the city's buildings, searching for the man Rain had described to Sam.

"So who are you meeting?" Rain asked as they maneuvered around the dumpster filled gaps of the city. Rain had said multiple times they were getting close, not that Sam believed her. "I mean, you mentioned you ran from home, wherever that is. If you had someone else to go to, it doesn't make sense for us to find you under a bunch of trash."

"Oh, I'm getting training from a Huntsman so I can attend Beacon." Sam answered the Faunus. "I need to go there to protect… well, some very specific people. The people I need to protect are like children to me, and I want to make sure nothing happens." Was this lying? Sam didn't think so, he was telling the truth. He just wasn't telling rain all of the information.

"Is that why you ran then? Would your family not let you become a Huntsman?" Rain asked, turning another corner. Sam shook his head no, deciding to keep some things about him secret for now. "Oh, here we are!" Rain exclaimed, the pair coming across a dead-end filled with fold-up tables that held piles of clothing. Among the tables was an older man around his thirties, if Sam had to guess. He had a thick red beard and was currently wearing a bathrobe and was drinking a steaming cup of coffee.

"Well hello! Welcome to Al's Secret Clothing Giveaway Supreme! You get here first, you get the first pick! I'm Alfred, or Al, good to see ya!" Greeted the bearded man, who took a sip of coffee after he finished. "Congrats on finding your way here. Looking for anything specific?"

"I just need some new clothes, I was recently rendered homeless and I could use some new clothes." Sam answered Al, gesturing towards his torn up jeans. Al drew in a sharp breath at the sight, nodding in understandment.

"Well go ahead and look around! I've got a table for pants on the left there, and if you need any shirts there's a table on the right. When you need to look for some shoes just ask and I'll bring out some boxes." Al took another sip of coffee, gesturing at the tables around him. Sam thanked the man and began searching the tables for anything his size.

At the table of shirts he found a grey short-sleeved shirt that had a light blue stripe running through the center of it, which Sam thought paired well with his hoodie. Rain showed him a plain white polo, which gave Sam a much more formal look that paired well with his very informal hoodie. His pants were two blue denim jeans with the exception of a black denim. Sam simply took a pair of pure black running shoes, he wasn't looking for anything too over the top.

Using a makeshift dressing room Al had created, Sam put on some of his new purchases. His hoodie was now unzipped, showing the striped grey shirt underneath it. His pants were the simple blue denim he was used to, as he never really wore any other type of leg wear back on Earth. His feet felt very comfortable now that he had socks and shoes over them instead of feeling the hard ground underneath his feet. He was satisfied with this look, as did Rain when he showed off his new look. Giving a thank you to Al as they left, Rain and Sam had a much easier time getting out of the alleys of Vale.

"Thanks for helping me out, Rain. I know I'm asking a lot, having just met and all, but I'm glad you were willing to." Sam thanked the deer Faunus, who smiled and said that it was nothing. Sam laughed at this. "Nothing? In the span of less than twenty-four hours, I have met you and your dad, offered a chance to train with a great Huntsman, and I have created the best and only outfit I've ever had. That's a bit more than nothing." Sam nudged her side with his elbow. When they finally arrived back at the bar, Sam told Rain he was meeting that Huntsman in the bar and the two parted ways.

Stepping into the bar, Sam was greeted by the strong stench of what was likely alcohol. Sam flinched a bit but kept on inside. The bar wasn't very busy, probably because it was still before noon, but there were a few patrons in the bar. One of them being the old crow Sam was meant to find. Sam joined the alcoholic at the table he was at, sitting across from him. Qrow looked up at the new arrival.

"About time, kid." Qrow grunted out. Sam apologized, straightening his hoodie a bit. Qrow slid the drink he had to the side, looking at Sam like he could burn a hole through him. "So, you want me to train you, an obviously inexperienced boy, to the point that he can attend Beacon, one of the greatest Huntsman schools of all time, within five months?" Sam nodded, returning the gaze that the Huntsman was giving. "And in return, you give us information about what you know?" Sam nodded again. Qrow rubbed his temples, closing his eyes. "Alright. Ozpin's given the green light to do this, and he'll let you into Beacon, given that you can make it past the written exam." Sam smirked. As long as he could manage to train himself into shape physically, he would be fine. "But these next five months are going to be the most difficult of your life. There will not be one day you don't train, no day to rest. You're getting the baby bird treatment, we're throwing you out of the nest in the hopes you'll fly." Qrow leaned back and crossed his arms. "Think you can do that?"

"I know I can." Sam confidently smirked at the Huntsman. "What's the first order of business then?" Qrow thought for a moment before he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small dagger.

"You're going to go into the Emerald Forest and prove you can hold your own. No Aura, no Semblance. It was how I trained at the beginning, it was how my nieces trained at the beginning, it's how you're going to train from the beginning." Qrow handed Sam the dagger. "By the end of the day you need to bring back a Beowolf claw. You can collect trophies of the Grimm by cutting certain parts off before they disappear into smoke. Bring a claw back, or the training doesn't continue." Sam nodded, determined. He ran out of the bar holding onto the dagger, intent of accomplishing the task.

"Quite dangerous, don't you think, Qrow?" A voice asked Qrow, coming up behind him. Behind Qrow a silver haired man stood, his hand resting on a cane. Qrow rolled his eyes, turning back to Ozpin.

"It's the simplest hardest task I have. Yang did it when she was eight, Ruby did it when she was five. This kid will be fine." Qrow grabbed his drink, taking a swig of it. "So what do you make of him?" Qrow asked Ozpin, the silver haired man sitting down.

"He seems too confident in his abilities. It is likely he won't make it out of the forest alive. I'm hesitant to let him into Beacon as of now, but I could hear the truth of his words in the recording you took of your conversation." Ozpin rested his head on his hands, staring off into the distance. "He wants to help up in our fight against Salem, and his knowledge of the subject contains things we hadn't shared to anyone, like how we refer to Salem as the "White Witch." For now, he is going to be our greatest asset, assuming he lives. Only time will tell."

br

Sam lept backwards as the Beowolf swiped at him. Sam had been dodging punches from others his whole life, and now that he didn't have the weight he used to, dodging the incoming paws was easy. Not to say he had avoided every single swipe. His face had a few scratches, and his barren arms had some as well, now that his hoodie was tied around his waist. But killing the Beowolves was like child's play. Getting close enough to one to obtain one if its claws? Not so much.

This was the third Beowolf Sam had encountered, and every single one had disappeared before he could cut off a claw. Knowing the Grimm's weakness helped in killing them, but they all disappeared too quickly. The side of a Beowolf's head and neck was their weak spot, and stabbing them right there even once was a sure fire kill. Speaking of, Sam had just done that with the Beowolf he had been fighting, plunging the dagger and taking it down. It didn't even hit the ground before it dissipated, leaving nothing behind but a tired and sweating teenage boy. Sam yelled in frustration, breathing heavily. What was going to do? He was starting to reach his limit, and it was now past noon. Killing those monsters was a lot easier than he expected, but without Aura, he was starting to feel fatigue and one wrong swipe could take Sam out easily.

Sam flopped onto the ground to rest, catching his breath. He hadn't sweat this much in a long time. He was hoping some miracle would happen at some point, that all of a sudden his Aura would unlock when it was needed most, but so far it hadn't happened. Sam was beginning to think he had bitten off more than he could chew. A howl from nearby signalled another coming Beowolf, and Sam groaned, getting up and grasping the dagger tightly in his hand. Fight number four, here we go.

From the bushes and tree he heard rapid stomping. It grew closer and closer until a Beowolf popped up from the shrubbery, stopping to howl as an intimidation tactic. Sam ignored it and promptly shoved the dagger into the Grimm's stomach a few times, then running backwards while the Beowolf became confused and disoriented that its howl had been interrupted. It then hopped forward at Sam, attempting to pin the human to the ground. Sam ducked under the large creature and slashed at it's paw, hoping to nail any of its claws. He managed to get a scrape onto it, which helped to pump Sam up a bit. Alright, he was getting somewhere.

When Sam had first run into the forest, he was worried that these Grimm would be dangerous and that his mission would stop before it began. But he realized soon after he killed the first Beowolf that they were only really dangerous in packs. On their own they were incredibly simple and easy to take on. He focused on this reassuring thought as turned back and slashed at the Beowolf's back, managing to get a solid hit on the creature. That was when Sam got an idea so stupid that it just might work. With one swift motion, he jumped onto the Beowolf's back and plunged his knife into its shoulder, managing to get a good grip on the back of it. The Beowolf began to thrash around, obviously trying to throw this puny creature that was riding its back off. Sam held fast however, hooking his other arm around the Grimm's neck while the other got to work sawing through the Grimm's shoulder.

 _Come on, just hold on for a bit longer…_ Sam thought to himself as held on for dear life, his hand sawing back and forth faster and faster. The thrashing of the Beowolf was getting dangerously close to a small clump of trees, and one wrong back step from the monster would crush the human on its back. With a sound like ripping paper, the arm of the Beowolf fell from the ground, luckily not dissipating. The Beowolf itself began to "bleed" if you could call it that. Red sparkles were floating into the air from its fresh wound, and it was blindly swiping ever which way. Sam needed to get its weak point, but couldn't with all of the chaotic moving.

However, by some miracle, the Beowolf collapsed to the ground, likely having experienced the Grimm equivalent to bleeding out. It slowly dissipated away, leaving behind its whole arm. Sam thanked whatever god was watching him and hoisted the arm over his shoulder, making his way back to Vale.

br

Qrow jolted awake from his seat when a large pounding sound came onto the table in front of him. He looked around in a panic when his eyes met those the color of hazel, which belonged to a smiling teenage boy.

"So I might have gone a bit overkill." Sam quipped, setting the dagger onto the table as he took a seat. Qrow looked down in front of him to see an entire arm of a Beowolf, severed at the shoulder. "I got four claws, is that alright?" Qrow gave an impressed smirk and chuckle to the boy, pocketing his dagger.

"Good job kid, I'll give you that one. I didn't think you'd survive, honestly." Sam gave a frown at that, of which Qrow ignored. "Taking on a Beowolf with no Aura isn't an easy task. When I did it I already had a year of training behind me." Qrow gave a satisfied nod. "I'm impressed. But if we're going to continue this you are going to need an Aura, or you're just going to be committing indirect suicide." Qrow reached out his hand, which Sam took, understanding what the Huntsman was doing. "Close your eyes, let me ask you a question." Sam closed his eyes along with Qrow, who gave a quiet grunt before a strange feeling overtook Sam. "Just focus on that feeling and on my question, kid. I have yet to ask you about what you know. That being said, it's time for question two. Long ago, Ozpin created something. What was that something?"

"Ozpin was the old man in the lone cabin who granted the four maidens their abilities. Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring, the four Maidens who could use magic." Sam added on an extra bit of information to assist in his convincing of Qrow. Sam heard a satisfied noise come from Qrow as he felt the feeling grow and then disappear when he opened his eyes as Qrow released Sam's hand. Sam felt his scratches and wounds disappear, and his fatigue leaving him. He looked down at his arms to see that the scratches he had received during the fights had vanished, only a few particularly deep ones forming into scars.

"Well done. You reacted well to unlocking your Aura. Others feel nauseous or just straight up puke after they get their Auras unlocked. It's not usually fun." Qrow moved the Beowolf arm from the table, setting it to the side. "So, assignment for tomorrow: We're gonna go into Vale and see if there's anything we can do to find out what your Semblance is. We can't make you a weapon until we figure that out, this way we can create you a weapon that works with your special ability." Qrow got up from the table and made his way to the door, leaving Sam sitting in the bar with a Beowolf arm. "Oh, by the way, that bartender was asking about you, said he needed to talk to ya. He looked pretty mad. So good luck with that."

br

 **A/N: So I have yet to figure out how to put in those line breaks, that's a big oof on my part. I can't figure it out. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed chapter 2! I know that Sam seems a bit overpowered right now, but by my own logic he's right where he/I would be at the ability to kill Grimm. I myself have had practice with my reflexes and being able to dodge things, and with all of that weight miraculously gone, it's a piece of cake to avoid a swiping Beowolf, let alone a singular one, since Beowolves are only really super dangerous in packs.**

 **So I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll probably spend chapter 3 focusing on some more character interactions between Rain, Credence and Sam.  
Uh-Buh-Bai!**


	3. Chapter 3

_February 20th  
Day 3, Year 1  
Current Location: Antlers in the Moonlight Bar_

 _So I didn't update yesterday, sorry about that. I was a bit busy. To sum it up, yesterday was a pretty eventful day. Let me tell you._

 _To start things off, I managed to kill a Grimm with nothing but my bare hands and a dagger. It was my first training mission with Qrow. Said he wanted me to prove myself before he unlocked my Aura. So I went out to the Emerald Forest, killed a Grimm, and brought back an entire Beowolf arm, bone armor and everything. It's currently sitting in a freezer in the bar's storage room, I need to find out what to do with it. So I proved myself to Qrow, and he unlocked my Aura. My cuts disappeared, both the ones from the bottles when I first got here and ones I obtained from fighting four Grimm in one day. Then I got yelled at by Credence for trying to fight a Grimm with no Aura, which I understand._

 _But everything was fine in the end. I apologized and things went back to normal, the guy can't seem to hold a grudge for too long. So then I started working for Credence in the bar, as a way to earn my keep for staying in their home and to get some Lien as well. It was stressful at first, but I slowly got the hang of things. I was really just the guy who took people's orders and I rarely served. I wouldn't trust me with too much glass either, honestly. Rain worked as well, so she showed me the ropes the best she could. She's a good teacher, even if it was just how I should greet the customers and how to act. Apparently the bar already has a bad reputation for being run by Faunus, they don't need to support the rumors. When all that was over, I was payed ten Lien, which is basically ten dollars on Earth. Not a lot, but money was money, so I took it. Hopefully I can get a raise while I work there. I need to save up the Lien for if and/or when I go to Beacon._

 _The next day I met Qrow back in the bar and we went out into the city, testing various things that were known to sometimes unlock people's Semblances. He tried throwing me off a three-story building to try to instill a sense of danger, which didn't work but thankfully I didn't die because my Aura protected me from the fall. He had me touch various objects, as some were known to find their Semblances when activated by physical touch with a certain element. I burned my hand twice in the span of two hours._

 _And then the mad man had me get purposefully blasted by one of Atlas' Security Robots. I have to say, those energy blasts hurt like hell, so don't make A.I. mad, I suppose. But whatever is in those blasts made something happen, because when I got up from a pain that felt being electrocuted and punched at the same time, I saw that my wrists had small little orbs of some light blue energy, ten for both wrists, floating in a circle that was slowly rotating._

 _Qrow noticed them too and stopped the robot from attacking further, showing it his Signal Academy teacher I.D., which caused it to back down immediately. He come over and offered his hand to help me up, which the littles orbs of energy from right hand immediately flew towards and sort of possessed his hand, causing me to get pulled from the ground easier than it should have been. I pulled my hand back and the orbs followed. So I had some idea of what the orbs could do, but not fully. That was when Qrow said that it was time to train._

 _Semblances are like muscles, they explain in the show. The more you practice using them the easier they become to use and the stronger they become. But I don't remember anything about physical fatigue. Qrow had me concentrate on commanding the energy orbs - Helper Buds, I've begun calling them - to see how far away they could move from me, to see what they could and couldn't "possess" and how much they could lift. By the end of the day they were a few things we could figure out. First is that they operate much like twenty extra arms, in that they're similar to appendages. I just think of what I want them to do and they do it. Second is that there doesn't yet seem to be anything that they can't possess, but we're still running tests. Third is that each Helper Bud can lift a maximum of ten pounds each. So if all twenty come together, they can lift, at most, two hundred pounds. And I was sweating so much afterwards, I just need to get used to the Helper Buds._

 _I already have a few ideas as to what my weapon can be, but my main one is what I'm going to pitch to Qrow. To give you a hint, think of Penny Polendina's weapon._

 _Speaking of Qrow, he just came into the bar. Update you later!_

br

"Hey, kid." Qrow greeted Sam, plopping down onto a stool at the bar. Sam returned the greeting as he closed the notebook and put the pencil down. Sam had been assigned bar duty that day and was updating the notebook between orders from customers and serving the drinks. "You ready for today? Now that we know the basics of what your Semblance is, we can finally get you a weapon and start actually training you."

"You mean more than the massive amount of push-ups you had me do yesterday? Or when we did all that parkour between roofs? Or just testing out said Semblance in general?" Sam jokingly asked, making it seem like he was annoyed. Qrow gave a laugh at that, putting his hands up in defense.

"Alright, alright, I see what you mean. But I had to do that. When I trained my nieces, they had years to fine tune their bodies before they even thought about using weapons. If you're willing to go to Beacon enough so that you get tangled up in this whole mess with the White Witch, I gotta get you ready in five months." Qrow put his hands behind his head, leaning back a bit in the stool. "And training you in combat, both with your weapon and without, is gonna take longer than just unlocking your Aura and activating your Semblance. We gotta get you into shape, and take whatever chances we can to help that. That being said, any ideas?" Sam's eyes lit up at this.

"Of course I do. I could barely sleep last night, I was so excited. I spent hours drawing up sketches and designing weapon possibilities that can pair with my Semblance. Take a look." Sam flipped open the notebook, turning to one of many pages of weapon ideas and designs. The one it was open to was a design for various gauntlets around his body, each showing a knife strapped onto them. "Back before I came to… Vale, knife throwing was a hobby of mine. So my idea is to have my little Helper Buds…" Sam held up his wrists, the Helper Buds floating around them. "...possess the knives when I need to use them. I could use them as projectiles, or I could use them in a melee fashion, having them slash at my opponents. Or, if we can make them right, all twenty could assemble together to make the blade of a longsword, or even… a scythe?" Sam arched an eyebrow at Qrow, who was nodding impressed at the designs and sketches.

"You might not be able to draw up blueprints all that well…" Qrow began, closing the notebook. "...but your measurements seem to be on point, and you managed to come up with quite the weapon. It took me days to come up with Harbinger, and then even longer to draw up blueprints, and I swear, don't even get me started on building the thing." Sam took the notebook back, setting it back behind the bar. "But kid, I don't know if I can teach you to use a scythe in the time we have. A longsword is easy enough, but learning to use a scythe is one of the hardest things to do. At most there are five known Huntsman who use scythes, myself included. It's the hardest weapon to master." Sam furrowed his eyebrows at Qrow's statement, going into deep thought. A scythe was one of Sam's all time favorite weapons, and that was his first weapon idea. Then Sam had an idea.

"Then have someone teach me after getting into Beacon. For example, your niece, Ruby Rose." Sam smiled at his idea and the look of shock that came onto Qrow's face. Qrow narrowed his eyes, glaring at the teenage bartender.

"How do you know my niece? I never said her name, or what weapon she uses." Qrow stood to match Sam's level. Sam looked back at his teacher, unimpressed and unintimidated. The amount of things Sam could tell this man right now, how Sam knew all about Qrow's semblance, and all of the secrets of the characters who were in the show. But he had to reel the situation back in. It was enough that he already knew about Salem and her plans, knowing about the personal lives of Qrow's family and people he had never met before was going to cross a line he couldn't cross just yet.

"Calm down. I heard about Ruby through some friends of mine who went to Signal with her. How she was like everyone's little sister, the sweetest and most innocent girl they've ever met. And how her uncle always managed to put up with her during class, despite her antics." Sam lied. Qrow returned seated, Sam having successfully calmed the Huntsman down. "Here's what I propose. Give me a budget of one-thousand Lien - which I know you have, don't act like you don't - and I'll spend today going around to shops in Vale and getting the parts for the weapon. Odds are we'll have to wait a few days for the knives to get specially made so they can assemble the way I plan for them to. In that time I can create the rest of the components needed for the weapon, and you can start to train me in using a longsword and scythe. Then, when the rest of the weapon comes in, I can start training to use it and get a feel for it." Qrow was nodding as Sam went, his arms crossed. This was a sign that the Huntsman was taking him seriously. "Then, if and/or when I'm in Beacon, I can get Ruby to train me to use my scythe better. Sound good?" Sam asked as some of his Helper Buds returned from serving drinks to patrons. Qrow simply sighed in frustration and nodded, and asked for some whiskey.

br

Sam and Rain stepped out of the bar, now dressed in regular clothing, instead of what they wore for helping Credence in the bar. In Sam's hand he held two Lien cards, both of which had five-hundred Lien on them. Sam knew that weapon parts couldn't be cheap in Remnant, which was confirmed when Qrow recommended Sam the best weapon parts stores and blacksmiths in the city and mapped out the prices of what Sam would need to build the weapon he had come up with. The final estimated price came to about seven-hundred Lien, and the last three-hundred were for any last minute ideas Sam were to come up with. Qrow grumbled a bit when he handed Sam the money, but Sam ignored him. Qrow was a Huntsman, a teacher at Signal, and he had help from Ironwood. He had enough money, a thousand Lien wouldn't hurt anything.

"I have to say, those little orbs of yours are really cool!" Rain complimented Sam when they stepped into the first of the shops they would be visiting throughout the day. It was a regular weapons shop that sold both premade weapons and parts for working on and making your own. "Think of all the uses they have! You can help clean up around the bar, and you can lift heavy objects without even touching them, and don't have to worry about carrying a bunch of stuff anymore…" Rain continued on, listing off possibilities for Sam's Helper Buds. The deer Faunus already seemed to know more about Sam's Semblance than Sam did. He had to admit, some of the ideas she had were ones even he hadn't thought of.

"Hey there, you two! Nice to see you again!" A voice greeted the pair, a familiar, bushy red bearded man coming from a back room. Al was now donned in a black apron worn over a t-shirt and jeans, and he was carrying a box that seemed to be full of metal parts based on the sounds it made when it moved around. "So you found my main business, I see! Tell me, what can I get for you two today?" Al plopped the box down behind the counter, a loud **thunk** coming when it hit the ground. Sam handed Al a list of things needed for his weapon, stating that he was going to get the knives custom made at a blacksmith's. "Let's see… well, I have premade weapon handles that you could look through, and it wouldn't take too long to add anything onto it, like a special design or your emblem, as I'm assuming you're going to be a Huntsman if you're looking for a weapon." Sam internally face-palmed. He completely forgot about an emblem. "As for this gauntlet design, I have plenty of gauntlets like this that are designed to hold projectiles. Kind of reminds me of a pair of gauntlets I made for this blonde girl a few years ago, the basic shapes are pretty similar."

"So can you get them made?" Sam quickly asked, prompting to change the subject. He didn't want anyone to make connections. Geez, sometimes Sam forgot he was from another world. The design of his gauntlets were super inspired by Yang's _Ember Celica_ , in that they were able to constrict to look more like bracelets and that they held the ammunition inside, along with the way they looked when they extended. Other than that, Sam hoped they didn't look too similar. Rather than being black and yellow, the gauntlets were a dark grey with light blue accents. The extended form was a bit bulkier, since it extended to cover his entire arm in a relatively thin layer of armor, and rather than fingerless gloves Sam opted for armor to cover his fingers.

"Of course I can. The modifications you want for the gauntlets are easy enough, and I have access to armor. Let me go and grab those handles I mentioned. Be right back!" Al replied to Sam's question, walking to the back room of the shop he had emerged from. Rain had joined Sam at the counter by now, her head set in her hands. Sam had a question he had been wanting to ask Rain, so it was now or never.

"Hey, we haven't gotten too much of a chance to really get to know each other, and I've had a question or two to ask you. Wanna play '20 Questions?' " Sam turned to Rain, who turned her head to face the boy. She responded with a "Sure" and straightened up to concentrate on the game. "So, question one: Have you ever wanted to become a Huntress?" Sam started off with a simple one to lead up to what he wanted to ask.

"I did when I was little. I mean, the chance to go out and fight monsters? That sounds like the best job ever." Rain answered, smiling a bit before it turned sad. "But then something happened that made me realize that it wasn't the life for me." Rain cast a glance down. "So let me ask you something now. Do you really expect to be eligible for Beacon in five months?" Sam laughed, cut abruptly when they heard a grunt of pain from Al.

"It's a mixed bag. I want to be a Huntsman, but it's not just a matter of want. I _need_ to get into Beacon. If I don't, some important people might be hurt… or worse." Sam answered, his tone turning dark. The next few questions were simple things like their favorite colors - Blue for Sam, orange for Rain - or their favorite foods - Both of them agreed that pizza was a gift from the gods - until Sam decided to ask the question he most wanted to know. "Is your mom dead? And, if so, how did she die?" Rain frowned at this question, a small smile turning to a frown.

"You don't just ask someone that." Rain said, her voice monotone as could be. She sighed and propper her arms on the counter. "She was a Huntress, actually. One of my main inspirations for wanting to be one." Sam could see no tears, but heard the sadness in Rain's voice. "She had just come back from a mission. It was winter, and the snow was beautiful. We were playing in the snow, out in the forest, when we suddenly began getting shot at by guns. 'The thicket, Rain! Into the thicket!' my mom had cried, prompting me to run back towards the city. I made it out, but mom never did." Rain raised from the counter when she saw Al coming back from the back room. "The murderers were caught and arrested. They were a group of Faunus-haters who saw us and didn't like that my mom had a weapon with her. They tried to say it was self-defense, but it was obvious they were lying." Rain stepped away from the counter, leaving Sam there with Al. "I'll be outside."

"Alright, it took awhile, but I finally managed to find the box that had the handles you requested. They can all extend longer, just like the design asked." Al opened the box to reveal a multitude of weapon handles. "Your friend leave?" Al asked, seeing that Rain had left his store.

"She's outside." Sam answered, taking a look into the box. He probably just messed up big time.

br

The rest of Sam and Rain's trip was spent in silence. Al had told Sam to return to the shop in a few hours, so the pair went to the blacksmith to get Sam's throwing knives ordered. Sam had been correct in assuming it would take a week to be made, so he placed his order and left, now stuck in the city with a girl who he was sure now hated him.

"Uh, hey, do you maybe want to go and get something to eat? I know a pretty good cafe nearby." Sam asked Rain when the silence became too much for him to bear. The deer Faunus gave a wordless nod. Sam led her to a cafe he had just passed by, hoping that it was a decent place. Sam sighed in relief when they approached and realized that this was the same cafe Sun and Blake visited after Blake revealed she was a Faunus. Sam held the door open for Rain and the two entered.

The cafe was a nice little place, but it was definitely the kind of cafe you would go to when you just needed some quiet time. Only one table had people at it who were conversing with each other, and even then they were whispering. The others were all reading books, or writing, or drawing, or just sitting there sipping their drinks or eating their pastries. Sam ordered a simple black coffee and Rain ordered a cinnamon roll with a hot chocolate. They were given their orders, Sam payed - or rather, Qrow paid - and they took an empty booth and began to consume their foods.

"Look, Rain, about earlier…" Sam finally said after they had gone through about half their drinks. "I wanted to say sorry, for just asking you about your mom. It wasn't my place to do that and I'm just super sorry." Sam went back to his coffee, staring into the cup. He could feel Rain's gaze on him for a moment before she spoke.

"It's fine. You're forgiven." Sam held out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. Then Rain gained a scowl on her face, directed towards Sam. "But if you ever do something so stupid like that again, I might not forgive you again." Sam could tell she was teasing, but it was possible she wasn't. So he just nodded as a reply, in order to convey that he understood. "And I would hate to do that. You've been a cool guy so far." Rain smiled at Sam, who gave a smile back. So had she, honestly. He hadn't properly hung out with a friend in quite a while. It was refreshing to do that again.


End file.
